Ribera del Duero challenges ‘out of date’ perceptions in UK market

Tim Atkin MW joined a host of Ribera del Duero producers in London last month. What did they have to say about the region’s latest trends?

When assessing the wines of Ribera del Duero – and particularly their place in the UK market – Tim Atkin MW is well qualified. He has been visiting the region for decades and has, since 2018, published a Top 100 for the region.

The guide, compiled after visiting the region and tasting 551 wines from 173 bodegas, presents his 100 top scorers. It also highlights high-quality wines (those that scored 91 points or above) that are not represented in the UK and that retail in Spain for less than €16. 

So, at the launch of his 2024 guide, he had a room full of industry professionals to hear his thoughts. Joined by Pablo Baquera, marketing director of the Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Ribera de Duero, he presented his assessment of the current market and the latest vintage.

One comment stood out in particular. “The image,” he explained, “that many people in this marketplace have is 10 to 20 years out of date.”

It gives reason to pause, but also reason for excitement. If the prevailing view in the UK is outdated, you might ask, what does Ribera del Duero look like in 2024? And what trends are driving new development in the region?

Atkin himself, as well as producers who attended the launch, gave some clues.

Celebrating the region’s diversity

“It’s tough to generalise about the region,” Atkin admitted in his presentation. Ribera del Duero is certainly not a homogenous, easily farmed region that can churn out grapes. Its conditions are varied and difficult.

He highlighted elevation, ranging from around 700 metres to more than 1,100m, as a key contributor to its diversity. Likewise soil variation makes Ribera del Duero difficult to summarise. Possibly its most famous winery, Vega Sicilia, has no fewer than 19 different soil types.

That can be a challenge for growers and winemakers, as conditions are unpredictable and can be treacherous. Yet several producers are celebrating its diversity, and making that a key component of their offering.

Certainly Pagos de Anguix, featured in the unrepresented selection, sees a virtue in its specificity. The winery sits to the north of the appellation, with vineyards at high elevations on limestone-dominated soils. It is this specific terroir that, according to its team, appeals to consumers.

“People want to drink history: to drink a vineyard, a story and a winemaker,” explained Martina Domènech, export manager for the winery. “They want wines with character.”

This is particularly true, she believes, in the Spanish market, where drinkers know Tempranillo well and so wish to explore its regional nuances. Yet she also believes that attitude is, little by little, heading overseas: “It’s a matter of time.”

It is an approach likewise made by Bodegas Gallego Zapatero, which presented its Yotuel wines. Coming from the same municipality of Anguix, it showcased three high scoring wines from single vineyards. The winery’s efforts to highlight terroir put it in good stead with Atkin, and could be a route to fine wine lovers.

Adapting to climate change

This year, no producer could deny that an increasingly volatile climate poses challenges. Yet Ribera del Duero also has opportunities, as the industry continues to address climate change and sustainability.

Baquera described 2024 as “a challenging harvest”. The region harvested approximately 95 million kilograms of grapes, the first time it had dipped below 100 million kg in five years. However, Baquera advocated that it would still show high quality: “freshness, elegance and complexity are expected.”

It was a wet year, with rainfall spread through the season. Rain in earlier months was a particular challenge, meaning that careful vineyard management was essential.

Frost was a greater threat. Although less severe than the devastating frosts of 2017, some producers saw up to 40% off their crop lost to frost this year. Atkin remarked in his presentation that it has become an unpredictable threat, which might strike at virtually any point. The latest he had heard of was a June frost.

Producers are also acknowledging the risk of heatwaves. Although historically, according to Atkin, hot vintages were considered superior, there is now a danger of too much of a good thing. In particular, he raised the daunting prospect of vintages that combine rain, frost and heatwaves. “It’s slightly worrying,” he remarked. “You wonder if that is the new norm.”

Yet the region has its opportunities too. The region has a strong history of mixed vineyards, many of which remain on producers’ sites. Compared to single varietal plantings, such vineyards can offer greater resilience in challenging years, which Atkin remarked could prove necessary in facing climate change.

Moreover, as concerns around climate change make sustainability a priority for consumers, Ribera del Duero’s producers are well placed to take advantage. “It’s comparatively easy to be organic in Ribera del Duero,” Atkin commented. 

Returning to traditional styles

The question of tradition versus modernity, in any region, can be a false dichotomy. On this, Atkin was clear: “I think it’s not a question of two separate camps. It’s always a continuum.”

Yet he did remark that there is a general trend of less extraction and cooler fermentation. Many would associate richer, more extracted styles with the region’s early fame in the 1990s. Now, it seems, producers have the confidence to choose either path.

That was evident in the tasting. Alvaro de Blas Serrano, for instance, highlighted that marketing fresher wines can be difficult, but that the family company finds such a style rewarding. He particularly credits hiring a French winemaker at Bodegas De Blas Serrano as the beginning of a stylistic shift towards freshness.

Elsewhere, winemakers are proving that reds are not the sole focus for the region. Viña Sastre, for instance, presented its rosado. The rosé wines of Ribero del Duero must be aged in barrel, and so offer an alternative to the many regions that prioritise stainless steel. Yet Viña Sastre’s wines demonstrated that it is still possible to use oak and deliver freshness in the glass.

Meanwhile, at El Majuelo del Abuelo, white Ribera del Duero is enjoying a moment in the spotlight. The family winery hand harvests grapes from old vine, organically farmed vineyards to create an authentic expression of the region.

“I try to be as artisanal as I can,” explained winemaker Fernando Iglesias Saugar. “It’s something new and fresh. People are delighted by the quality and grateful to have some freshness in the market.”

Whether fresh and traditional styles might come to dominate the market is up for debate, but the tasting certainly demonstrated that producers are not wedded to richer, more extracted styles.

Perhaps Atkin himself summarised the mood best: “I think we’re currently in the most exciting phase of Ribera del Duero’s development.”

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